Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has urged against the planned protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, calling the timing premature and expressing concerns about potential for violence.
Speaking to State House reporters on Wednesday after presenting former Senate President Pius Anyim, Uzodimma stated that the South East Governors are opposed to the protests due to fears they could be hijacked.
Uzodimma criticized the organizers for not providing clear reasons for the protest, saying, “Democracy is about the opinion of the people, and protest is allowed in a democratic setting. Every protest must be reasonably conceived to be able to make political sense. I think it’s too early at this time in the life of this government for anybody to come out to say he wants to protest.”
He raised concerns about the current fragile political environment and the global situation, adding, “Given the global situation today and the insecurity in the country, we have a very fragile political environment that if not managed and protected very well, may collapse the entire country.”
The governor also drew parallels to the #EndSARS protests, warning that the current protests could face similar issues if not properly managed.
“The implication of doing that, if care is not taken, is that it may be hijacked, like the #EndSARS experience where criminals now hijacked an innocently conceived agitation by young Nigerians,” Uzodimma said.
He further questioned the motives behind the protest, emphasizing that the organizers have not disclosed their reasons or demands.
“If you are protesting, what do you want government to do? Because the reason for protests is that they want an issue to be addressed. What are the issues?” Uzodimma asked.
The governor advised against the protests, suggesting that they could exacerbate existing economic hardships and unrest.
“I think there is no need to overheat the polity, overheat our environment and put our people in a position that the hardship that is occasioned by economic recession all over the world is further worsened. So I advise against the protests,” he concluded.